St Mary's & Calvert counties ?s - please help (Frederick: townhome, transfer)

[classic girl]

I've read previous posts re St Marys county's growth, but seems still to be quite rural. Does anyone have insight to which town has the most potential. Is Leonardtown becoming more sophisticated with the influx of DC commuters?
Looking for more upscale but not mega-bucks subdivision -- if that's possible in the area. Any towns with nicer, non-chain restaurants and shopping? Is Calvert county any better? Trying to find more affordable but nice waterfront community compared with what I've found thus far with exorbitant pricing for relatively modest homes in Annapolis area. Not interested in any area considered redneck. Need good hospital nearby. Any insight is appreciated.

[Y-Man]

CG: Calvert County would probably be your better bet in terms of commuting. Check West River in Anne Arundel County, North Beach and Prince Frederick.

[cancan]

I grew up in calvert county when there was no fast food, no convience chains, no stop lights.....to me now its a urban waste land its overcrowded traffic is horrible and every cheesy chain is there.....st marys county isnt much better. Lexington park is booming becuase of base realignments but as far as sophisticated its nearly as far as you can get. I agree calvert may be your better bet, but i am running screaming from both.

Rednecks abound but more so in st marys and they are just hidden by all the new arrivals in calvert. also In my honest opinion calverts hospital stinks.

Sorry to be a party pooper.

Good luck to you.

[WHS68]

First, there is no "good" hospital in Southern MD. Go to DC or B'more for anything even vaguely serious.
In St. Mary's County, you will probably want to be looking south of the base if you're after the genuine article. Stay away from the subdivisions. Waterfront homes and lots are usually not in subdivisions, but in small and often charming neighborhoods off the many roads going down to the water from Routes 235 and 5. You'll have some exploring to do to find the right place. We rented for a year while on the hunt.
Calvert County is completely overpriced, except for the Ranch Club and that's too tight and weird for me.

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by WHS68

First, there is no "good" hospital in Southern MD. Go to DC or B'more for anything even vaguely serious.
In St. Mary's County, you will probably want to be looking south of the base if you're after the genuine article. Stay away from the subdivisions. Waterfront homes and lots are usually not in subdivisions, but in small and often charming neighborhoods off the many roads going down to the water from Routes 235 and 5. You'll have some exploring to do to find the right place. We rented for a year while on the hunt.
Calvert County is completely overpriced, except for the Ranch Club and that's too tight and weird for me.

Civista is a great Hospital in LaPlata not big but they do their job very ,very well.

[Hobgoblin]

It depends on what part of Calvert County you're in as to the level of "redneckiness". There's a certain amount where ever you go, but that's true of any place that is still predominantly rural/semi-rural.

It certainly has some selling points over other places in Southern Maryland, though. The schools are very well regarded and commutes to DC and Annapolis are easily doable from the Northern portions of the county.

Chesapeake Beach and North Beach both have upscale townhome developments right on the bay with access to private beaches. There is lots of non-chain dining in the Twin Beach area as well. There are other nice homes throughout all of North Calvert as well.

Prince Frederick isn't that far away, and there's hardly ever any traffic to speak of to get down there, but I have no idea if the hospital there is "good" or not.

Annapolis and the DC area have more hospitals, so if you can stand a commute there are plenty of other choices out there depending on your needs and your aversion to driving. I don't know if you need a good hospital for treatment or for work... so YMMV

[ellieb128]

I spent 2 years in St. Marys and 16 in Calvert. Calvert is far less "rednecky" but still has plenty of pockets. There are not (IMHO) a lot of quaint interesting little villages of neat shops and restaurants in Southern MD. The Beaches have some cute places, interesting antique shops mixed with a more So. MD culture, Solomons has potential if you sail and have money and don't have to live in the Ranch Club or Drum Point. If you want quaint/funky type villages and no rednecks - forget Calvert and St. Marys. There is a mix but you can't avoid either. Hospitals are fine if you need stiches or break an arm, other than that you are up the road. Traffic is getting worse during rush hour. Heading south at 5 to Pr. Frederick from points north can be slow, not DC slow but still slow. If you are looking for a semi or really rural area to live in, this could be it but it isn't trendy. It seems most of the recent commercial development has been Walmarts and Targets. Lots of history, pretty countryside but an adjustment if you aren't from there.

[JuJuFruit]

Originally Posted by cancan

I grew up in calvert county when there was no fast food, no convience chains, no stop lights.....to me now its a urban waste land its overcrowded traffic is horrible and every cheesy chain is there.....st marys county isnt much better. Lexington park is booming becuase of base realignments but as far as sophisticated its nearly as far as you can get. I agree calvert may be your better bet, but i am running screaming from both.

Rednecks abound but more so in st marys and they are just hidden by all the new arrivals in calvert. also In my honest opinion calverts hospital stinks.

Sorry to be a party pooper.

Good luck to you.

I too grew up in CC when all we had was the Safeway and AMES in Prince Frederick. Oh and the Roy Rogers..

I remember when we got the Movie theater in PF... lol those were good times..

I went back to visit last year, and sadly you can not even recognize Dunkirk anymore.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Hobgoblin

It depends on what part of Calvert County you're in as to the level of "redneckiness". There's a certain amount where ever you go, but that's true of any place that is still predominantly rural/semi-rural.

It certainly has some selling points over other places in Southern Maryland, though. The schools are very well regarded and commutes to DC and Annapolis are easily doable from the Northern portions of the county.

Chesapeake Beach and North Beach both have upscale townhome developments right on the bay with access to private beaches. There is lots of non-chain dining in the Twin Beach area as well. There are other nice homes throughout all of North Calvert as well.




Prince Frederick isn't that far away, and there's hardly ever any traffic to speak of to get down there, but I have no idea if the hospital there is "good" or not.



Annapolis and the DC area have more hospitals, so if you can stand a commute there are plenty of other choices out there depending on your needs and your aversion to driving. I don't know if you need a good hospital for treatment or for work... so YMMV

North Beach does not have any "upscale townhome developments with private beach access".
You need to define "hardly any traffic". Every signalized intersection on Rte. 4 from Plum Point Rd. to south of Prince Frederick has a grade of "F" from SHA.
Calvert Memorial Hospital is fairly highly regarded and the staff is smart enough to know when to transfer a patient who needs more specialized treatment.